Rhamnus is a
genus of about 150
species (fewer, if some species are placed in
Frangula), which are
shrubs or small
trees, commonly known as
buckthorns. It is part of the family
Rhamnaceae. Its species range from 1 to 10 meters tall (rarely to 15 m) and are native mainly in east Asia and North America, but found throughout the temperate and subtropical
Northern Hemisphere, and also more locally in the subtropical
Southern Hemisphere in parts of
Africa and
South America.